星島日報記者梁敏育芝加哥報道：由選區重劃委員會主席，伊州參議員勞武(Kwame Raoul)提出的「2011伊州投票權法案」(
陳增華
經伊州眾議會多數黨領袖眾議員芭芭拉嘉莉(Barbara Flynn Currie)提交眾議院執行委員會(
州長簽署後法案生效
30天內將提交給州長州長簽署，一旦簽署後，SB3976被正式成為法案。
陳增華表示，3日共有10多項議程等待著眾議會執行委員會委進行討論；「2011伊州投票權法案SB3976」排在前面，結果以7票對4票通過討論，將SB3976提交到眾院投票，最終，得以67比46獲得通過。
馬靜儀
消息傳回唐人街，不少關心華埠發展，華裔前途的居民，都感到十分欣慰；甚至芝加哥論壇報(Chicago Tribune)也關注華埠選區重劃的進展，刊登了有關的新聞報道。
2000年人口普查出籠後，多數華裔居住的社區，包括了橋港區，麥金利公園 和雅摩爾廣場等地區，被分割成四個區(Four Wards)，四個州眾議員區(Four State Representative districts)，三個參議員區(Three state senate)，兩個郡委員區(two county board)及三個聯邦眾議員區。這種格局對凝聚華裔選票，增強華裔社區的政治影響力非常不利。例如唐人街急需新的圖書館，遠動場等設備，也因需和不同的 立法人商議，結果都是徒勞無功，問題被拖延又無下文。2010年的人口普查確實的數值尚未公布，但華埠更好團結聯盟根據統計，華裔人口應超過2萬多人；唐 人街的小學生也年年增多，例如唐人街的興氏小學，學生吃午飯時間要分開七段時間，有些學生在早上9時30分即要開始吃中飯；超過1500名高中生，由於唐 人街沒有一所高中學校，有些學生在早上5時就要乘搭2 至3趟公車上學，此種種待須解決的問題，皆因政治力量被分割，心聲不被重視的緣故。
陳增華聲稱在未來的兩星期內，將有初步的選重劃計劃書和各界討論，同時，華埠更好團結聯盟也就陸續讓各芝加哥市長候選人和僑社進行討論會。1月12日下午2時，在華埠圖書館，首先和芝加哥書記迪維拉(Miguel di Valle)見面。
在華埠更好團結聯盟大力推動下，被稱為「華埠法案（Chinatown Bill）」的「2011伊州投票權法案」日前獲得伊州眾議會通過。如果一切順利，華埠及周邊地區的華裔選民可望在今年6月底出爐的選區畫分報告中，被畫 分在同一州眾議員選區內；明年，華裔選民即有機會成為左右選情的重要力量，甚或推出自己的州眾議員候選人，為芝城南華埠建埠百年送上大禮。
20年前，華埠原屬於腹地往北延伸至市中心的第一區，後來該區區長因案鎯鐺入獄，不僅芝市中心被畫走，華埠也被規畫入當時貧窮的第二區。在華商會會長陳增華以及譚繼平、李秉樞、張秀賢等的奔走下，華埠被畫入現在的25區。
隨著華埠人口快速成長，1997年為了多達六家賭船的巴士，24小時穿梭華埠、接送賭客帶來的問題，當時集結商議解決之道的社區組織代表，於2001年成立了「華埠更好團結聯盟」，全力推動華埠選區重畫等事宜。
選區重畫伴隨著十年一度的人口普查進行，在2000年人口普查後，隔年，伊州政府、庫克郡政府、芝市政府紛紛推出選區重畫前的公聽會，陳增華等人積極參與，後來才發現為時已晚，華埠選區已被畫分得四分五裂。
●選區分裂 致資源困乏
有了十年前的經驗，華埠更好團結聯盟早早就為2011年選區重畫展開準備，加上華埠更好團結聯盟於2008年透過青年義工登記了1600位新選民，2010年又登記了逾千名新選民，讓聯盟在政界及其他族裔組織之間的聲勢大漲。
聯 盟趁勝追擊，進一步和伊州參眾議會兩黨民代及議長建立關係，華埠更好團結聯盟主席陳增華並於去年6月邀請伊州參議會選區重畫委員會主席羅武（Kwame Raoul）到華埠，說明伊州及華埠選區重畫的發展。攸關華埠州級民代選區重畫的「2011伊州投票權法案」即由羅武提出，並於去年底獲得伊州參議會高票 通過。
陳增華亦多次前往首府春田市作證，說明華埠選區四分五裂，分屬芝市四區、四個州眾議員、三個州參議員、以及三個國會眾議員選區，導致華埠公共資源缺乏，至今沒有一座民眾活動中心、圖書館擁擠不堪、沒有高中以及低收入住宅不足等。
●集中華裔 增加影響力
選 區重畫「牽一髮而動全身」，陳增華網羅專業人士，就2009年預估人口分布情形，模擬出華埠選區重畫藍圖，待2月人口普查結果出爐，再加以調整，做為和附 近社區溝通協調的依據，以及提供主導選區重畫的州議會多數黨議員參考，希望在州眾議員選區畫分上能順利奏效。由於一個州參議員選區是由兩個州眾議員選區形 成，因此，州參議員選區畫分一事，也能跟著得到答案。
一如陳增華所說，一個州眾議員選區涵蓋10萬5000人，如何將華埠地 區預估2萬5000人的華裔集中在一區，以產生影響力，是華埠更好團結聯盟推動選區重畫的最大目的，對華埠意義重大。華商會副會長徐佐寰強調，投票參與率 對2011年進行的選區重畫有舉足輕重的影響力，目前住在華埠及附近的華裔居民約有2萬4000人，要是所有華裔選民能集中在一個選區內，勢必可以發出更 大的聲音。
Good news.
SPRINGFIELD — The Chinatown community would have a better chance to deliver a cohesive voice in the legislature under a bill a House panel advanced today.
The action comes as lawmakers prepare to redraw the legislative maps for district boundaries this spring following the results of the U.S. Census.
A coalition led by C.W. Chan argued the community is split into four House districts and three Senate districts. Splitting up the community into multiple districts results in a dilution of Chinatown’s political strength.
"We’ve been here for a long time," Chan said. "We’re here to stay."
The House Executive Committee voted 7-4, sending the bill to the full House. The Senate previously passed the proposal overwhelmingly.
The legislation, sponsored by House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, also called for a minimum of four public hearings when legislative districts are redrawn.
But Whitney Woodward of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform called it "troubling" that the public hearings are not required to be held at a meaningful point in the legislative process.
The hearings should be held once drafts of new district boundaries are in place rather than before they are unveiled, Woodward said. The hearings are needed late in the mapmaking process to allow time for the public to recommend improvements, she said.
By Diane S.W. Lee Illinois Statehouse News
SPRINGFIELD — As a result of a legislative map drawn 10 years ago by Democrats, Chicago’s Chinatown is split up into many districts.
But legislation passed by a House committee on Monday hopes to fix that.
“Despite our best efforts, what came out from the 2001 redistricting process, Chinatown was being divided into three congressional districts, three state senate districts, four representative districts, four city wards and two county commission districts [1],” C.W. Chan, chairman of Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, told a panel of House lawmakers on Monday.
Senate Bill 3976 would give minorities more protection under the redistricting process.
“All this we attribute to the fact that the (Chinatown) community has been fragmented — as a result we see that kind of decrease in responsiveness and accountability,” Chan said. “And that’s why we are appealing to our legislators to address this situation where for the upcoming redistricting Chinatown can be placed into one single district.”
By law, the map is required to be redrawn every 10 years to reflect the change in population following the release of U.S. Census figures. Democrats currently control both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s office, so they will get to draw the state’s legislative and congressional boundaries, thereby shaping elections for the next 10 years.
House sponsor Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, said whichever party draws the map will need to follow the constitutional requirements, which states that the legislative and representative districts need to be “compact, contiguous and substantially equal in population.”
Currie said the map will be required to be drawn from criteria stated in the Illinois constitution, while specific factors will be considered later. Race is one of the factors that will be taken into consideration, Currie said.
Currie said they will need to look at Census data details, which are expected to be released in the spring. In addition, a minimum of four public hearings will be held after the map is drawn.
Whitney Woodward with the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform said more hearings would improve transparency and allow Illinois residents to participate in the redistricting process. Woodward said her organization has been active on the redistricting process for more than a year.
The measure now moves to the full House for consideration.
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Thank you from Chinatown
Dear Senator Raoul,On this day of the successful passage of SB 3976, the Chinatown community remembers and wholeheartedly extends its gratitude to you as the originator of the strategy of introducing a special bill to safeguard the voting rights of communities like ours. You have kept your promise to be our champion from day one. Your unwavering out-front and behind-the-scene efforts are the real driving force that helped bring our decade-long quest finally within reach.You should feel good that not only have you played a key role in helping a deserving community, you have cultivated some long and loyal friendship as well.CW
